


To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love

by sccfan4ever



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, pride and prejudice au, she and Buck are good friends here, there is no Abby hate in this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29475204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sccfan4ever/pseuds/sccfan4ever
Summary: Buck sat on the side of the ball room, Maddie on one side and Abby on the other. Maddie nervously smoothed her skirt for the third time in five minutes. He grinned at his older sister. “Maddie, I swear, if every man here does not end the evening in love with you, then I am a much worse judge of beauty than I thought.”Maddie smiled at her brother. “Or of men,” she countered.Buck shook his head. “Oh, no, they’re far too easy to judge,” he replied.A Pride and Prejudice AU
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 11
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a post on Tumblr suggesting this AU, and I couldn't help myself. Pride and Prejudice is, after all, the only romance movie that I genuinely enjoy.  
> Also, this is based on the 2005 movie because I never read the book or watched the miniseries.

Buck sat on the side of the ball room, Maddie on one side and Abby on the other. Maddie nervously smoothed her skirt for the third time in five minutes. He grinned at his older sister. “Maddie, I swear, if every man here does not end the evening in love with you, then I am a much worse judge of beauty than I thought.”

Maddie smiled at her brother. “Or of men,” she countered.

Buck shook his head. “Oh, no, they’re far too easy to judge,” he replied.

Maddie rolled her eyes. “One of these days, Evan, someone is going to catch your eye, and then you’re going to have to watch your tongue.”

Abby gave Buck a knowing look just before the music and dancing came to a stop. Three new, apparently very important, guests had just arrived, and everyone in the room stopped to stare.

“So, which of the painted peacocks is the famous Mr. Han?” Buck whispered to Abby, for his and Maddie’s benefit.

“The one on the right is Howard Han, and on the left is his brother, Albert,” she answered.

“And the taller one in the middle?” Buck asked.

“That is Mr. Han’s good friend, Mr. Edmundo Diaz,” Abby answered.

“He looks absolutely miserable,” Buck commented.

“Miserable he may be, but poor he certainly is not.”

“Tell me.”

“Ten thousand a year, and he owns half of Darbyshire.”

“The miserable half.” Buck and Abby giggled.

Maddie looked at the three men, already enchanted by Mr. Han. From the way he looked back and caught her eye, it appeared that he already felt the same.

Mr. Diaz looked over as well. The second he caught Buck’s eye, he jerked his head forward. Buck gazed downward, slightly hurt that the other man couldn’t even meet his gaze for a few seconds.

Then the dancing resumed, and Buck focused all his energy on making sure that Maddie continued to be perfect and enchanting, as Mr. Han couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her.

Before Buck even had time to blink, his mother had dragged him and his sister over to be introduced to the new guests.

“Mr. Han,” Mr. Clark said, “my daughter, you know.” Abby smiled and curtsied. “And this is Mr. Buckley, Mrs. Buckley, Miss Maddie Buckley and Mr. Evan Buckley.”

“It is a pleasure,” Mrs. Buckley said with a smile. “I have another daughter, but she is already dancing.”

Mr. Han smiled. “We’re delighted to make your acquaintance,” he said. His brother side-eyed him, and Mr. Diaz continued to avoid making eye contact with Buck.

Mr. Clark continued, “And may I introduce Mr. Diaz of Pemberley and Darbyshire.” The Buckleys and Abby all curtsied and bowed in polite response.

Buck and Maddie continued the evening with polite conversation with Mr. Han for a while, until he asked Maddie to dance. 

“Do you dance, Mr. Diaz?” Buck asked, trying desperately to make conversation. 

“Not if I can help it,” he replied, looking away from Buck as soon as he finished speaking.

Buck didn’t know how to respond to that, so for once in his life he kept quiet and went to find Abby. The pair sat underneath the risen benches on one side of the room, glad that they had each other for company. Their location put them in exactly the right spot to overhear a conversation that Buck immediately knew he was not meant to hear.

“I’ve never seen so many pretty girls in all my life!” Mr. Han exclaimed.

“You were dancing with the only pretty girl here,” Mr. Diaz countered.

“Surely there must be someone who caught your eye,” Mr. Han replied. “Perhaps there is a man? Maddie’s brother Evan is very handsome, isn’t he?”

“He’s barely tolerable, not nearly handsome enough to tempt me.”

Buck hung his head. He had never considered his physical appearance so much before this evening, being constantly snubbed by Mr. Diaz.

Abby reached out and patted his arm. “Be grateful, Buck,” she said. “If he liked you, you’d have to talk to him.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Buck grinned. “As it is, I wouldn’t dance with him for all of Darbyshire, let alone the miserable half!”

Mr. Han couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Maddie the entire evening, while Mr. Diaz and Albert never joined in the dancing. They did, however, eventually join in a conversation.

“Yes, when Maddie was fifteen, there was a gentleman who I was sure would make an offer of marriage. He wrote her for a while-”

“Which is when we learned the power of poetry in driving away love,” Buck interrupted his mother before she could embarrass them any more.

“I thought that poetry was the fruit of love,” Mr. Diaz said.

“Of a strong love, it may be,” Buck replied. “But if it is only a vague feeling, I’m afraid one sonnet will kill it stone dead.”

“Then what do you recommend? To encourage affection?” Mr. Diaz asked him.

Buck smirked. “Dancing. Even if one’s partner is barely tolerable.” Mr. Diaz’s eyes widened in realization, and Buck simply turned and walked away. 

Mr. Diaz could think about that for a while. It’s not like Buck cared what he thought about him.

Right?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the encouragement on the first chapter! I guess I'm doing this now :)

“A letter addressed to Miss Buckley from Netherfield Hall.” 

“Good heavens, we’re saved!” Mrs. Buckley exclaimed. 

Maddie grabbed the paper and quickly unfolded it. “It’s an invitation from Albert Han… He’s invited me to dine with them… Oh,” her face fell. “His brother will be dining out.” 

“Let me see that.” Mrs. Buckley snatched the letter from Maddie’s hand. “Dining out? Why on earth…”

“Mama, may I take the carriage?” Maddie asked. 

“It’s too far to walk, Mama,” Buck interjected. Mrs. Buckley was too absorbed in the letter to respond. 

“Mama! The carriage for Maddie?” Buck repeated for his sister.

“Certainly not,” Mrs. Buckley scoffed. “She’ll go on horseback.”

“Horseback?!” 

Unfortunately, Maddie got caught in the rain on her ride to Netherfield Hall. Or, according to Mrs. Buckley, very fortunately.

“Now she’ll have to stay the night,” she said enthusiastically. “Just as I predicted.

“Mama, you can’t reasonably take credit for making it rain,” Buck pointed out, soaked to the skin from having been briefly caught in the downpour himself.

Two days later, the Buckleys received another letter from Netherfield Hall. “Mama, now Maddie is sick thanks to you!” Buck scolded.

“Well, at least if she dies, it will have been in pursuit of Mr. Han,” Mr. Buckley muttered.

“Papa!” Buck said. 

“People do not die from head colds,” Mrs. Buckley countered.

“I must go to Netherfield at once,” Buck sighed. 

The walk from the Buckley home to Netherfield Hall was a long one, which left Buck plenty of time to think. While Maddie’s letter told them not to worry, Buck couldn’t help it. Even though Mr. Han might not have a problem with Maddie staying until she was better, Buck had a feeling in the back of his mind that his brother might not be so happy about her presence. 

And Mr. Diaz… well, who knows about what he thinks? He’s handsome enough, but he clearly didn’t like Buck. He had hoped that he would never have to see Mr. Diaz again, but unfortunately he’ll probably have to have a conversation with the man. Maybe if he smiles enough, or says something to make him laugh-

Buck shook his head to clear those thoughts. Whatever happens, happens. Maddie is the priority here, not Mr. Diaz. He doesn’t even like Mr. Diaz, he-

The doorman escorted him inside the mansion. When he entered the sitting room, it was quiet for a moment. Then Mr. Diaz abruptly stood up and bowed in a greeting. Albert did not even give him a proper greeting. “Good heavens, Evan, did you walk here?” he asked.

“I did.” Buck flashed a smile at the two men. It couldn’t hurt, right?

They just stared at him. Buck stared back. Mr. Diaz has very nice eyes-

Buck pushed that thought out of his mind as soon as it entered. Maddie. Maddie is the priority. “I’m sorry, how is my sister?” he asked.

“She’s upstairs,” Mr. Diaz said immediately. 

Buck smiled again, glancing between Mr. Diaz and Albert. “Thank you.” He left the room with a bow. 

That was strange, he thought as he went to find his sister.

Buck sat at his sister’s bedside. “I feel like such an imposition. They’ve been so kind,” Maddie groaned.

“Don’t worry. I’m not sure who is more pleased with you being here, Mama or Mr. Han,” Buck laughed. Maddie smiled at his words.

With a gentle knock on the bedroom door, Mr. Han entered the room. Buck turned to him. “Thank you for tending to my sister so diligently,” he said. “She is in much better comfort here than she would be at home.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Mr. Han said, smiling down at Maddie. After a few seconds, he hastily corrected himself. “I mean, it’s not a pleasure that she’s ill, of course, I mean that it’s a pleasure that she’s here. Being ill.”

“Still, thank you,” Buck insisted. Mr. Han continued to stare at Maddie, who managed a small smile in his direction. Buck could plainly see the affection all over their faces.

*****

“My goodness, did you see his trousers?” Albert scoffed. “Six inches deep in mud. He looked positively medieval.”

Eddie stared after Evan.

“Surely you wouldn’t allow Christopher to make such an exhibition,” Albert continued.

“Certainly not,’ Eddie replied.

“To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above his ankles in dirt! It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum.”

“It shows affection for his sister, Albert.”

“I am afraid, Mr. Diaz,” Albert observed, “that this adventure must have affected your admiration of his fine eyes.”

Eddie still couldn’t pull his eyes away from where Evan had last stood. “Not at all,” he replied. “His eyes were brightened by the exercise.”

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't help but throw in a brief Eddie POV moment. I saw the eyes quote from the book and I _had_ to include it.

**Author's Note:**

> I could be persuaded to write more in this AU if there's any interest in it...


End file.
